To Say Goodnight
by Total Percabeth
Summary: While Carrie and Frank are out, Jamie and Mason are looking after the twins. After watching a Christmas movie, Jamie reads the girls a bedtime story.


As the credits of Arthur Christmas rolled across the screen, Jamie looked down at the small lump on his lap. Ann Marie was bundled up in blankets with an opening for her face where a tiny hand was also poking out to hold onto the hand he had around her waist. Similarly to her twin, Elisabeth was bundled up on Mason's lap to his right, though she wasn't clutching onto his hand.

From where his and Mason's thighs were pressed together, he reluctantly let go of his boyfriend's hand to reach for the remote.

At the sudden silence, Elisabeth's head jerked up from where he hadn't noticed it was drooping.

"C'mon, you two, it's bedtime." That received pouts until he added; "I'll read you a story if you're good about it."

It took a few minutes get the two out of their blanket burritos, but soon they were ready for him to take them to their room. Ann Marie was making grabby hands at him and within a second Elisabeth was doing the same. Jamie chuckled and wrapped an arm around each of them, standing up with a twin on each hip.

He turned to Mason who was still sitting on the couch. "I'll be back in a few."

Mason was already smiling softly up at him, but it widened and he nodded. "Alright."

Jamie smiled in return before turning and walking to the girl's room upstairs.

"Are you two sleepy?"

"No," Elisabeth said before yawning loudly.

"Of course you're not. How else could you stay awake to hear the story?"

"Sowwy!" Ann Marie cried out happily.

"Exactly! It's storytime!"

Soon they were in the girl's bedroom and he was getting the two into their beds. Elisabeth, though she claimed that she wasn't sleepy, had her arms around his neck and her face buried in his chest and was refusing to let go.

"Elisabeth," Jamie said in a mock warning tone.

Pouting, she let go and let him put her down on her bed. She remained pouting as he put Ann Marie down and got both of them tucked in.

She was still pouting until Jamie grinned and said; "I've got a new book for you! It has Christmas and a mouse in it. You like mice, don't you. Elisabeth?"

She nodded frantically, a smile breaking out across her face.

"Great! It's right… here!" Jamie dramatically pulled out the book from where he stashed it earlier.

Sitting on the chair beside their bed, Jamie looked at the cover as though he didn't know what it was called.

"Let's see. _If You Take A Mouse To The Movies_. That sounds interesting, doesn't it?"

"Ya! Ya!" Elisabeth had sat up and was practically bouncing with excitement.

"You're supposed to be going to sleep, Elizabeth," Jamie chastised as he lightly guided her back down onto the bed and pulled the blanket up from where it was pushed down, covering the two of them once again.

When they had settled down again, Jamie opened the book to the beginning. He read it out slowly, letting them look at the pictures before turning the page.

 **If you take a mouse to the movies, he'll ask you for some popcorn.**

 **When you give him the popcorn, he'll want to string it all together.**

 **Then he'll want to hang it on a Christmas tree.**

 **You'll have to buy him one.**

 **On the way home, he'll see a snowman in your neighbour's yard.**

 **He'll want to make one of his own.**

 **Then he'll need a carrot for a nose.**

 **When he's all finished, he'll decide to build a fort.**

 **He'll ask you to help him.**

 **Then he'll want to make some snowballs and have a snowball fight.**

 **Playing outside will make him cold.**

 **He'll want to go inside and curl up on the couch.**

 **He'll ask you for a blanket.**

 **Once he's nice and cozy, he'll want to listen to Christmas carols.**

 **You'll have to find some on the radio.**

 **He'll probably sing along.**

 **The carols will remind him of his Christmas tree, so he'll want to make ornaments.**

 **You'll get him some paper and glue.**

 **He'll ask you for glitter.**

 **When the ornaments are done, he'll hang them all up.**

 **Then he'll stand back to look at the tree.**

 **He'll notice his popcorn strong is missing!**

 **So he'll want to make another one.**

 **He'll ask you for some popcorn.**

 **And chances are, when you give him the popcorn, he'll want you to take him to the movies.**

He had to give Elisabeth credit for her efforts to stay awake, but by the end, her eyes had stopped fluttering open occasionally and she was breathing lightly, Ann Marie just as silent beside her.

Being careful to not wake them, Jamie closed the book and placed it on the bookcase, rising from the chair. He gazed down at his sisters for a few moments before leaning down to press a kiss on their foreheads.

As he turned to leave, he jumped, startled by the person standing in the doorway.

"Jesus, Mason," Jamie clutched a hand over his heart. He walked over to his boyfriend, pulling him into the hallway where he could speak at a more normal volume. "Don't do that, you could've given me a heart attack."

Mason grinned. "Sorry." He didn't sound truly sorry.

"What're you doing up here?"

He shrugged. "Got bored, so I came up here to hear the story."

Jamie rolled his eyes.

"Hey," Mason placed a hand on his arm. "You're so good with them. It's cute."

Jamie looked back in the room, smiling fondly at the two motionless lumps. "They're the cute ones."

Mason moved his hand to wrap his arm around Jamie's waist. "You're cute too." He leaned up to kiss Jamie softly on the lips.

Jamie had a feeling there was something else, though. Mason's eyes flicked to the twins and it looked like there was a thought that he couldn't shake away.

He glanced at the twins one last time before reaching for the door, quietly closing it.

"What is it?"

"What?" Mason's startled gaze met his.

"You're thinking of something. What is it?"

"Oh. I just- while you were tucking them in and reading to them, I, uh, couldn't help but think that, um," he looked down, not meeting Jamie's eyes. "You'd make a good dad."

Jamie's heart leaped.

Mason continued on, cheeks flushed. "And that, maybe, one day, if we adopted, those would be _our_ kids and you'd read to them at night and I can picture this happening every day, and I'd love it and I want it. I want _this_ with you."

Feeling a sudden rush of longing, Jamie's heart skipped a beat as he pictured a future like this. Putting two kids to bed, but as parents, rather than a sibling and said sibling's best friend and boyfriend.

Jamie grabbed Mason's face, pulling him in to kiss him.

"I love you," he mumbled against his lips.


End file.
